Unum Pars Draco
by Deus
Summary: Summary:Dangerous times prompt Dumbledore to create a new position within the school and hires a mysterious professor to fill it.
1. Introduction

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.

Note: Please excuse my bad Latin, if indeed the grammar is incorrect.

Kiora Maelith Sinavre watched intently as the headmaster outlined his proposal.  Teach one class, of his own choice, and fill the newly created position of school guardian; basically, make sure nothing nasty and harmful got into the school.

"-since are teachers are only that.  They haven't proven particularly effective at protecting the students- but they are excellent teachers."  Dumbledore brought his wandering to a halt before Kiora had time to become distracted and looked straight across the desk at the man before him.  The potential new staff member had flowing white hair and fiercely bright amber eyes in a face that managed to look young and considerably wise.  "Are you interested in the position Sinavre?"

"Certainly.  I'd love to assist you in this time of…..strife.  You know of course that I am not permitted to take sides in the conflict beyond my duties at the school."

"I am aware of that unfortunate circumstance, but the fact remains that having you here would be invaluable.  Now, on the issue of salary-"

"None is necessary Dumbledore.  I have more than enough in the way of personal resources, and I'm too old to still be chasing wealth."  Dumbledore smiled at Kiora's reply.

"I don't suppose you know what class you're going to offer?"

"Actually," Kiora said, smiling at the thought of what the headmaster's reaction would be, "I do.  I was hoping that it would be possible for me to offer an elective about magic without a wand."  Dumbledore's eyebrows rose.

"You are skilled enough to teach that brand of magic?  I haven't met a wizard who could for a long, long time."

"I prefer mage.  But yes, I am quite sure I can teach your students- those who want to learn, in any case, how to use magic without their wands."

"Very well then.  It will be most interesting to see who wants that class." Dumbeldore's eyes twinkled.  He reached out to shake Kiora's hand, and stopped short, his eyes drawn to the strange piece of jewelry on it.  Silvery metal covered all of Kiora's fingertips to the closest knuckle, extending to the middle knuckle on the top of the finger and leaving the actual fingertips exposed.  It was all connected to a hemisphere of blue stone on the back of the hand by thin metal braids.  "Is that-" Kiora nodded before the headmaster finished.  Dumbledore grasped Kiora's hand firmly and shook it.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Professor Sinavre.  And may I call you by your first name?"

"Of course."

"Well then Kiora, I think perhaps you have a class to plan."


	2. Feast and First Class

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.

            The din of the beginning of the beginning of the year feast wafted through the hall.  Kiora swept his eyes across the hall, gauging the students' gifts, or at least those that he could identify.  There were a fair number of students who looked as though they would be quite capable of using magic without a wand quite well.  Kiora also noted no small number of students gesturing at him discreetly and stealing looks.  Dumbledore tapped his glass for silence, and the students obediently complied.

            "This year is rather different than any before it.  Voldemort has returned, and is surely gathering strength.  The wizarding world is once more becoming a dangerous place.  This will affect you because in order to assure that life at Hogwarts is not changed greatly, we will have two new teachers this year, as opposed to the one that would have been necessary to fill the Defense Against The Dark Arts class." Dumbledore went on to introduce the new teacher for that class, and Kiora listened politely.  The new teacher gave a short speech before Dumbeldore continued.

            "I have also created a new position here at Hogwarts."  Mumbling spread across the tables at this unusual news.  "Professor Sinavre," Kiora inclined his head to the student body in acknowledgment, "will be teaching our new elective _Basic Magecraft_ as well as filling the role of school guardian.  You should all feel free to report anything that you think may be important to the safety of the school directly to Professor Sinavre.  That is all." 

            And with that, the tables were bowed with the weight of food that was suddenly upon them.  The noise level seemed to rise to a near deafening roar as the students tore into the feast.  Kiora served himself a mid sized helping of roast beef and began to eat and watch.

            "Hermione, you ever hear of the Guardian business before?" Ron asked.

            "Actually no.  At least, not at Hogwarts.  I suppose some people guarded things with magical creatures though. Perhaps-

            "I'll check the library." Ron and Harry said together.  Hermione shot her friends an exasperated look.

            "And I suppose you have a better idea? Especially since it was _you_ who was curious."  Ron shook his head and returned to his meal.  Harry couldn't get over the feeling of different-ness that seemed to be coming from Professor Sinavre.  Nothing bad, no scar twinges, just…different.

**************************

            "Welcome to Basic Magecraft.  Please sit down.  Before we begin, I'm going to make something very clear.  I don't care who your parents are or how pure your blood is," Kiora scanned the room, and his eyes settled on Draco Malfoy and his cronies, "what other people say about you or what you've done in the past."  Kiora glanced pointedly at Harry Potter.  "The only way to get a good grade in this class will be to do your best."

            "Now that we've got that out of the way, I'll try to describe this class in more detail.  This class will be entirely practical; you are not required to take notes, and any test I may give will be practical.  It will be challenging.  If it isn't, then I'm not doing my job.  You will be graded primarily on effort.  I expect good behavior.  And finally, there will be no wands used during this class under any circumstances, so you can put them away now."  Looks of shock spread across the room, accompanied by astonished whispers.

            "Professor," Draco drawled, "how, exactly, are we going to do magic without a wand?"

            "Why, Mr. Malfoy, that's what you're hear to learn.  You were of course, aware of that when you signed up for the class?"

            "I don't believe its possible." Malfoy whispered to Crabbe and Goyle.

            "You don't Mr. Malfoy? Well, this situation obviously needs to be resolved.  Catch."  As Kiora made a tossing motion, a ball of blue light appeared and soared towards Draco.  Dumbfounded, Draco let the fly past him and land on the floor.  Kiora held out his hand, palm up, and the light jumped back into it and disappeared.  "Can you explain to me, Mr. Malfoy, how I did that without using magic?  I didn't think so."

            "Hopefully you are all ready to believe that magic can indeed be used without a wand.  The wand is a tool, originally created to simplify magic use.  It channels magical energy, often called mana, into your spells.  Overtime the skill to use magic without a wand became less and less common, since it was no longer necessary, as long as there was someone to make wands.  This is the basic difference between magecraft and wizarding.  A mage does not need anything but his own mind to perform magic, while wizards rely on their wands."

            "Mana collects anywhere living creatures reside.  It pools and flows much like water.  Your wands tap those flows and reservoirs and feed the power to your spells.  To begin with, we will try to cast simple spells using only the mana that collects inside yourself."

            "I want you all to attempt to conjure a very small light, much like the _lumos_ spell you would use if you had a wand.  You must visualize and will some of your energy to become that light.  We'll spend the rest of the class period on it."  Kiora looked over the students, and then down a fraction in front of Draco. "And Mr. Malfoy, put your wand down.  You've got it in your hand under the desk."

Yes, it is short, but the chapters will get longer eventually.  Please review!


	3. Longbottom?

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.

            "Well, at least he's fair."  Hermione said hopefully, in a doomed attempt to raise the spirits of Harry and Ron.  Their first Basic Magecraft class head been quite frustrating, owing mostly to the fact that not a single student was able to successfully summon a light.  On the other hand, Professor Sinavre wasn't mean; he seemed nice enough despite his exacting standards, and he had offered a lot of encouragement.

            "I suppose that counts for something. He's better than Snape." Harry snorted in reply to Ron's comment.

            "Who wouldn't be?"

            "I don't think either of you are being particularly fair; we were told outright that it would be hard.  Besides, you didn't sign up for it because you thought it would be easy did you?"  Harry and Ron exchanged guilty glances following Hermione's comment.  From the discontented muttering issuing from many of the other students, it sounded as though no small number were feeling deprived of an easy class.  As the last of the students left the room, Kiora waved the door shut and retreated to the adjacent office.

            He drummed his fingers on the desk while he though.  Kiora needed to find a better way of teaching the class.  The fact that none of them were able to conjure even a simple light without a wand was both disappointing and frightening.  Was it possible that they had not even been taught to sense the flow of magic?  Had wizardry actually digressed to the point of complete wand dependence?  Did most wizards even know how a wand actually worked?  Perhaps it would be necessary to show them their own ability to sense magic, so see the mana that powered their spells.  The only way to do that would be for Kiora to direct their minds appropriately (with his own), an action that he doubted would be approved of.  Kiora resolved to ask Dumbledore and any others who could see and sense mana for ideas.  Kiora glanced longingly at the coronet on one of his shelves.  It would so simplify things to use it and show the students directly.  But it would be rather….unethical to do so, especially without the consent of the students- or even with it for that matter.  They could hardly know what they were getting themselves into.  Kiora drew his fingers away from their caress of the onyx filigree of the coronet.  He walked out of his office and the door closed behind him.

            As he traversed the twisting hallways of the school with no true aim in mind, he couldn't help but noticing a door that seemed to open into- a forest.  Curious, he let himself in.  The grass felt surprisingly real under his feet, and the room felt relatively devoid of magic for what ought to be an extremely complicated spell.  Kiora knelt down and tugged at a bit of the grass.  It came up easily in his hand, exposing real soil beneath.  He carefully returned the grass to its former position.  "Real.  Amazing." Kiora spoke absently to himself.

            "Nothing else would do."  Kiora whirled to face the voice behind him, ending crouched and ready to fight or flee, hands before him.  He almost did a double take as he stared at a palomino centaur.  Bringing himself under control he spoke.

            "I would not have expected to find a centaur here.  I am Professor Sinavre.  You are….?"

            "Firenze.  And I would not have expected your kind here.  Dumbledore had informed me of a new professor and protector- you are he?"

            "Indeed.  I imagine Dumbledore told no one.  It is not a fact I wish to be well known."

            "I would not betray your secret."

            "My thanks."  Kiora relaxed further, and was soon engaged in a lively conversation with the centaur.  Eventually he managed to maneuver the topic around to how to teach his students to sense mana, and teach them to use it.  It turned out the Firenze had some rather interesting ideas.

            Harry and Ron, no separated from Hermione (as she had dropped her divination class) were on their way to the lesson with Firenze.  Dumbledore had decided to have Firenze and Trelawney teach the class jointly.  The reached the door and were about to enter, but they heard their teacher conversing with someone.

            "-and this is not a violation?"

            "Actually no, the Covenant of Maelith'Ra is not specific enough about that to make my current duties illegal- merely questionable.  But the Covenant was, by design, drafted so that this sort of thing would be possible, if not obviously in the spirit of the covenant.  The Council only has the authority to enforce the law, not interpret it."

            "Intriguing.  So when- "

            "I hate to interrupt, but I do believe your students are beginning to arrive.  We most certainly must speak further."

            "May the stars guide you."  Harry and Ron backed away from the half open door at the sound of approaching footsteps.  The door was opened quickly and a tall robed figure whisked past them.

            "Was that that new professor?" Ron asked.

            "Sinavre.  Yeah.  Something off about him."

            "Oh come on Harry, he seems perfectly normal."  Ron hustled Harry into the classroom as the Potter's eyes followed the dwindling burnt umber and silver robes.

            Kiora was happily preparing the next day's lesson in his office when he felt his skin ripple- that was an entirely new sensation for Kiora, one that he had no idea how to interpret.  He had frozen, quill half-raised, when the feeling had passed over him, and he remained that way for several more moments, before he was ready to dismiss it as nothing important.  Kiora returned to his lesson plan.

**************************************

            "Good morning class.  I realized that yesterday was doubtlessly extremely frustrating for all of you, and that I'm sorry about.  Today we're going to try something a little different.  I don't want you to actually try to perform a spell. We will devote this class period to merely attempting to sense mana.  The funny thing about sensing mana is that not everyone interprets what they're sensing the same way.  Some people say that its like a smell, a few can see it, and other taste it, feel it, even hear it.  And a very, very few conceptualize it in several or all of these ways."  Kiora paused for a bit to allow the torrent of information to sink in, and continued walking back and forth at the front of the class. "I want everyone to begin by closing their eyes and attempting to clear your mind of everything.  And I want you to tell me where my magical object that I have just cast….now…is.  I will be moving it about the room."

            The entire class appeared to have their eyes closed, and most were concentrating, though Kiora suspected that Draco was peaking.  Not that it would matter of course; the magic Kiora was using wasn't visible to the normal eye.  Kiora swept the ball across the room, and floated it slowly past Potter and Granger, then Ron.  He saw an expression flicker across Neville Longbottom's face.  He moved it closer, and then made his blob of mana hover over Longbottom's head.

            "I…its….Professor! It's right above my head isn't it!?"

            "Yes! Yes it is!  Tell me, how do you know?"

            "I can sort of see it….its very faint….kind of yellowish white.  And I can hear it too! It's….thrumming."  Neville was ecstatic.  It was quite possibly the first time he had been the one to figure something out before the rest of the class.

            "Now I want you to open your eyes, very slowly, maintaining your concentration. Good. Can you still sense it?"

            "Yes…but not as well."

            "Excellent.  That will change with practice.  Keep at it."  Kiora moved the mana blob away from Neville, whose eyes continued to track it.  "Anyone else sense it?"  A Hufflepuff girl raised her hand timidly.

            "I think I can taste it.  Its….a row in front of me?"

            "Indeed.  This is very good.  I did not expect this exercise to work so well.  But then, Hogwarts only takes the best."  The rest of the class period continued in the same manner, and by then end of it nearly a quarter of the class had been successful in somehow spotting the mana.  Kiora was extremely pleased.  A few more days of the same exercise and he could have them at a level to perhaps begin casting simple spells.  An excellent class indeed.  Kiora would have to thank Firenze for that most effective drill.  Apparently it was used with young centaurs.  Kiora whistled to himself as his class filed out.  It was going to be a good year.

Please review with helpful comments.  Plot suggestions are welcome too.  Review! Thank you!


	4. Show of Power

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.

            "Longbottom? Really!  He can't do anything right, and yet he mysteriously succeeds in doing something before anyone else!"  Draco snarled and kicked a book away from him on the floor of the Slytherin commons.  He paced back and forth near the fire as Crabbe and Goyle watched him.  "Even Granger would have been better!  But no! The bumbling fool Longbottom figures it out!  You know what? I don't think this magecraft business is real.  How do we know what those people really saw?"  Crabbe and Goyle nodded the requisite agreement.  " I think Professor Sinavre's a fake.  He must have had a wand hidden somewhere when he cast the spell during the first class."  Draco sounded almost ludicrously sure of himself; it would have been obvious to most people that he was trying to convince himself of the truth of his statement.

            "We could..um…drop the class?" Crabbe suggested tentatively.

            "No, you idiot! That would be as good as telling everyone else in the class that I can't do it.  And we can't have that."  Draco dropped into a state of deep thought.  It would take a lot of thinking on his part to figure this one out.

            Later that evening Longbottom was at the receiving end of a great deal of praise and questions in regard to how he had managed his feat in Basic Magecraft.  Neville seemed to glow under all the attention.

            "You know, I think it's excellent that Neville figured it out."

            "You're not…you know…jealous?" Ron asked Hermione incredulously.

            "Well I am…but nonetheless, he hasn't really ever been particularly outstanding at anything.  Maybe this is his chance."  Hermione, Harry and Ron glanced over at Longbottom thoughtfully.  Envisioning him as excellent in any field was an idea that all three of them where having trouble believing.

            "That class seems next to impossible.  Only maybe a quarter of us could see the mana."  Harry made his observation in a sullen tone, obviously disgruntled by his inability to perform.  He actually didn't mind Sinavre, and he didn't want to do badly in that class.

            "Don't be silly!" Hermione exclaimed, "Of course its difficult! We're learning an entirely new branch of magic.  I'm surprised that any of us were able to succeed to so quickly! Two classes Harry.  How long do you think Sinavre had to study to become however good of a mage he is?"  All three of them laughed a little.

            "It is kind of hard to tell how old he is….you know, what with that white hair and the lack of wrinkles."  Ron observed, watching as Hermione's eyes unfocused a bit.

            "More than lack of wrinkles I'd say," Harry replied, nudging Ron's eyes towards Hermione.  Harry continued in a whisper, "I wonder how many of the girls are hopelessly in love with his face, hmmm?"

            "Oy! Hermione!  Back to the normal world, eh?" Ron snapped in front of Hermione's face.

            "Well he _is_ attractive you know." She said with a sniff.  Just as Hermione was about to speak again, there was a tremendous crash outside the common room.  Ron and Harry beat her to the door into the hall by only a fraction of a second.  All three held wands at the ready, but they could see nothing.

            "Peeves?" Harry called.  Silence answered him.  Hermione pointed mutely to a hole in the wall of the hallway perhaps thirty feet away.  As the three of them climbed carefully out of the hole that served as the entrance to Gryffindor tower, the hair on the back of their necks stood straight on end.

            All of the shadows in the hallway formed themselves into thin strands and shot towards a point the middle of it with an unusual whooshing noise, where the collected into the shape of a man.  Suddenly, an armor-clad figure with waist length white hair suddenly stood there.  Three separate jaws gaped at it.  A voice like steel issued forth from the armored personage.  The whole process had occurred in about a second.

            "You three. Back in the common room. Now."  Without hesitation, the trio hastily removed themselves to the familiar safety of the Gryffindor commons.  The door swung closed behind them.  Booted footsteps echoed down the hall.  Ron was the first to speak.

            "I thought….you…couldn't apparate….at Hogwarts…."

            "You CAN'T!" Hermione snapped.

            Kiora followed the path of broken walls, on the trail of whatever it was that was causing said devastation, ordering everyone he came upon back to their common rooms.  The dormitories' wards ought to be sufficient to keep this thing at bay.  If it weren't for the fact the so many people were around he could- no.  Too many people.  The path of destruction wound downwards, away from most of the populated portions of the castle.  Kiora hastily summoned a light that bobbed along over his head.  The path he trod soon was no longer a level hallway.  The creature or spell was now making its way through the myriad rough-hewn tunnels below the castle.  The large shoulder pads of his armor began to catch on roots that had penetrated down into these tunnels.

            They must now be out from beneath the castle proper…or perhaps under a courtyard.  Snarling in frustration, Kiora increased his pace.  He wasn't going to let this thing get away if he could possibly help it.  He briefly glimpsed something sinuous and black bounding along before the tunnel turned a corner.  Kiora held his right hand as though he was in possession of a weapon, and an elegant long-sword obediently materialized.  Finally, the tunnel opened into a small cavern. A dead end cavern apparently.  The creature, a huge mass of muscle that looked rather like an oversized cross of a rhino a dog and a snake, pawed at the ground.  It was easy to see how this thing had run through stone walls several feet thick.  Kiora moved towards it and slashed at it with his sword.  The thing hissed, but seemed mostly unaffected by the small (relative to its size) cuts it had just received.

            With a running start, Kiora plunged the blade deep into the creature's side.  This time, it bellowed in pain, and its head impacted painfully with Kiora's mid section.  Kiora flew into the nearby wall and fell to the ground, the breath knocked out of him.  He heard the creature getting a running start, and managed to look up in time to see its tail disappear through a solid wall.  His sword lay bloodied next to the same wall.  Kiora shook his head, and gingerly picked himself up and retrieved his weapon, cleaning it before returning it to its back scabbard.

            "It didn't seem to have any specific goal. It ran about the school, smashed some walls and then ran for it.  Seems more like a display of power if you ask me."

            "What do you mean Professor Sinavre?" Dumbledore asked, showing how worried he was by the use of Kiora's official title.

            "Someone has just demonstrated their ability to get a living object of a rather large size inside Hogwarts, to a very specific location, undetected.  So either it was a test, or this entity wants you to know that its quite capable of attacking you on your home ground.  It _is_ a little frightening that the creature first appeared near a dormitory.  The wards in those areas are particularly strong."

            "Fortunately, you were able to get there quickly.  Rather faster than I would have thought possible."  Dumbledore pinned Kiora with an inquisitive stare.  Kiora kept his face blank.  Dumbledore sighed. "Well, no one was hurt, and the damage is easily repaired.  I suppose we should be thankful for that.  That is all Professor."  Kiora bowed himself out of Dumbledore's office.

Yeehaa! I'm on a writing roll.  Please R+R it is a good thing to review!  Thank you.


	5. Class Goes On

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.  And yes, I really do use this blurb at the beginning of every chapter! Wow…isn't that weird?

            "Well obviously it wasn't apparition.  That's simply impossible at Hogwarts." Hermione explained patiently to a puzzled Ron.

            "Then what was it?"

            "And who." Harry added.

            "That part's simple.  Logic can easily answer the question.  Who do we know that has long white hair? Dumbledore and Sinavre.  And I don't think that was Dumbledore's voice, not to mention that Sinavre seems the most likely candidate to possess kinds of magic we don't know about."

            "That makes sense I suppose." Ron commented, looking thoughtful.  "Should we ask anyone?"

            "No," this time Harry had spoken, "they might not know that Sinavre can just appear like that.  And I _do_ get funny feelings about Sinavre."

            "Don't be silly Harry!" Hermione objected, but not with much fervor, and the look in her eyes betrayed her uneasiness.  Harry's instincts had, for the most part, proved to be correct.  After a somewhat lengthy silence, Hermione spoke again. "I'll see if I can find anything about exotic magics in the library, since we know whoever it was wasn't using anything normal."

            "That's for bloody sure."  Ron sounded like he thought Hermione had just made the understatement of all time.  The three of them ended the conversation on their highly unusual experience of the previous night once they approached the great hall.  Ron's mind seemed quickly diverted by the plethora of tasty breakfast offerings, while Hermione only looked thoughtful.  Harry found he didn't have much of an appetite.  He kept feeling like every time Sinavre looked at him, his mind was completely translucent.  It was extremely unsettling.

            Kiora made sure to make a point of being observed walking to his classroom from the great hall by Harry.  He knew that he'd been seen last night, and if at all possible he wanted to keep those three students from being too inquisitive.  He swept into his classroom, his burnt umber silver trimmed robes billowing gently behind him.  He sat at his desk at the front of the classroom and dipped quill in ink.  As part of his job as Guardian, Kiora had been spending a significant amount of time locating and cataloguing weaknesses in the school's protective magics.  He'd already amassed a small pile of full scrolls.  The school was very well defended, but any accomplished and determined mage, or a very powerful and creative wizard, could either force of snake their way through the wards, respectively.  Kiora would present all the problems to Dumbledore sometime soon.  

The stone set in the unusual piece of jewelry that Kiora always wore on his right hand tingled gently.  He spoke "Come in." just as the first person in his mid-morning class was about to knock on the door.  Kiora of course, didn't see this, but it quite amazed Neville Longbottom, who had arrived early because of his newfound enthusiasm for the class.  Kiora glanced up as the stunned boy pushed open the heavy oak door.

"Good morning Neville."

"Morning Professor!  What will we be doing today?"  Kiora smiled at Neville's youthful cheer and excitement.

"A continuation of yesterday's lesson.  We'll be honing the ability to sense mana.  Probably for a few weeks, since everyone learns at a different pace."  The rest of the students slowly trickled in.  Kiora was mildly surprised that the Malfoy group would be late.  He had (correctly) surmised that Draco harbored a quickly growing dislike for Kiora, whether from his egalitarian principles that he had put forth at the beginning of the class, or simply because he wasn't one of the stars of the class, Kiora didn't know; nor did he particularly care.  Harry was one of the last to arrive.

_He has the sight and something more._

_I thought so.  Does he know?_

_Not yet I think. But he senses something amiss.  Be careful._

            Kiora briefly peered at Harry, into his eyes, seeking to read his countenance for any clues if Harry was aware of his talent or what he might think of Kiora.  Harry shifted his gaze quickly, as though reluctant to look Kiora in the eye. Wise actually.  A fair portion of mind based magic required eye contact.  As the last stragglers entered and Kiora stood, those already seated made as though to reach for their wands, with the exception of a select few.

            "Ah! No wands," Kiora admonished.  "This isn't a wizardry class."  Everyone put their magical aids away, most looked embarrassed and a few were annoyed.  "We'll be continuing our attempts to break everyone into mana sensing.  This step is essential to magecraft and before anyone asks, you may not, under any circumstance, skip it. So, without further talk, find the mana."  Kiora sent a little mana blob to bob gently around the room, and sat back in his chair to wait for the students to voice there suspicions as to where it was.  Kiora could sense the mana with all 5 senses, which allowed him an extraordinary ability to differentiate between different peoples mana and mana from different sources.  His mana burned white-yellow, thrummed very deeply (as Neville had accurately described), smelled vaguely like very hot fire, tasted faintly of blood and was as cool as metal to touch.

            The class proceeded, and everyone who had been successful the day before was able to hone their sensitivity.  New people also successfully located the mana.  Ron and Hermione seemed sensed the blob almost simultaneously, as it floated past their heads towards the back of their heads.  Harry looked sullen.  No doubt angry at his inability to grasp such an apparently simple concept.  Or perhaps merely experiencing the violent mood swings contingent to puberty.  The bell rang and saved Harry from any further agony.  In an event that was highly unusual, Harry and Draco shared a similar attitude at the end of a class.

            _Talk to him.  Before he leaves.  He needs encouragement._  Kiora sighed and called out.  "Harry, would you mind terribly if I spoke with you for a short while?"  Kiora could see the internal conflict play briefly over Harry's face.  Decline and prevent the ordeal of being alone with Kiora for any extended length of time at the expense of looking disrespectful to a teacher, or a display the proper obedience and endure.  Obedience won.  Harry reversed course and walked back into the classroom.  Kiora waved the door shut with a small hand gesture.

            "It's not easy for everyone.  And even though you haven't got the knack of it yet, you do have a gift."  Harry's face registered mild, and then severe surprise.  "You're lucky enough to posses mana-sight to the utmost degree.  And I believe you have something more, but it is nothing I can put a name too."

            _Nor I._  Kiora looked hastily at Harry's face.  No reaction beyond the end of Kiora's sentence.  Not that gift then.  "I don't think there's any easy way for me to help you.  But if you ever need help in class, please come talk to me."  Harry nodded, and left.  _That didn't go so well._

_            No, no it didn't._

Please R+R, it is a good thing to review!  Thank you.


	6. Tears

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.  And yes, I really do use this blurb at the beginning of every chapter! Wow…isn't that weird?

            Snow drifted down gently outside and settled onto the sill of Kiora's window.  He was, unlike the majority of his days, not in his office, but in the spacious tower bedroom that Dumbledore had kindly granted upon request.  When the headmaster had inquired as to why Kiora wanted a room in a tower (few did, they got very cold during the winter without magical heating) Kiora had simply answered that he enjoyed the view.  Dumbledore had blinked and smiled in the disconcertingly omniscient fashion of his before going on with life as though nothing had changed.

            It was one of a precious few long weekends for students and teachers alike during the wintry months, and Kiora was very much enjoying not having to work too hard.  The students were quick, but some of them, particularly a certain two who had a more than healthy rivalry going, were trying.  It was still dim enough outside that the flickering candlelight showed Kiora his own pensive, perhaps slightly melancholy face in the window, like a ghostly mirror hung on the landscape itself.  He missed the mountains, with their soaring majesty and razor-keen air.  It was the snow, he decided, that brought back such memories.

            Kiora sighed and turned away from the window.  His grade book sat upon his desk, reminding him that he actually did have some duties to accomplish.  His class had proceeded at a satisfactory pace, although after everyone had gotten the hang of sensing mana, things had slowed down.  They had had a significant amount of trouble manipulating magic without their wands.  Most of them were now at the level of very simple magics, floating small objects, making lights and very rudimentary illusions.  Mrs. Granger had developed an unusual thirst for information on the history and theory of magecraft, which, according to Kiora's extensive questioning of other teachers, was normal for her if she enjoyed a class.  He suspected however, that her motive was not just to learn about magecraft.  She often asked questions that seemed to be attempts to illicit information about types of magecraft he knew.  Not a comforting thought, seeing as Hermione had witnessed a rather exotic branch of magecraft that Kiora practiced.

            "I found something! Finally!  It's a not a direct of lengthy reference, but I think it might be related to what we saw!"  Hermione exclaimed, flew into the Griffindor common room, breathless with excitement, clutching a tome in her arms.  Harry and Ron blinked.

            "Slow down Hermione!  We can barely understand what you're saying!"  Ron implored.

            "So what did you find?" Harry asked.

            "Its here," Hermione opened up the book, setting it down on the table a little to hard and upsetting the chessmen of Ron and Harry's game, and began flipping rapidly.  Ron rolled his eyes. "It's very short, its from a record of some minor wizard's war. 'November 12, 1205- Mountain Outpost #5 lost to the shadows.'"

            "That's it?" Ron asked incredulously. "How does that tell us anything?  It makes no sense."

            "That's a translation of the word, the best I could get.  Its strange that they stuck what looks like a Latin word in the middle of something written in some other language, and that the word was left un-translated. Almost like a-"

            "Name." Harry finished Hermione's sentence before she had the chance.  "So it must be some sort of creature or group.  Or at least, that would make sense."

            "And how does this relate to what we saw?" Ron asked.  Hermione sighed.

            "Well, when Sinavre did his appearing trick, it was like the shadows condensed into him right? So I was looking for any reference to magic with shadows.  This was all I came up with besides stuff that was obviously referring to the dark arts, which I disregarded."  Harry's eyes narrowed at the end of Hermione's explanation.

            "Why?  Isn't it possible that it was a dark art?"

            "Oh come _on_ Harry! Don't you trust Dumbledore at all?"  Hermione was exasperated again.  Harry's face took on a look of thoughtfulness.  He had reasons to trust Dumbledore, but he also did not think the headmaster infallible.  He sighed.

            "I suppose so.  But still, I wouldn't rule out the dark arts completely."

            "We still don't know any more than we did before." Ron complained.

            "I think I could find more if I could find the right books…." Hermione mused.

            "And those would be where?"  Harry pointed out.

            "I have no idea."

            Sinavre stood opposite Snape on the dueling platform, having been convinced to prove the effectiveness of combat magery.  He wore another piece of jewelry besides his ever-present hand piece, one that none of the observing students recognized.  A coronet of white gold with onyx filigree sat on his brow.  A jet black jewel was its impressive centerpiece.  Snape raised his wand, Sinavre his hand, and they turned and began walking towards the ends of the platform.  Upon reaching their respective ends, they each paused for the requisite few seconds, and the whispers of speculative students died down to nothing.

            The words of Snape's spell were lost in the roar of the fireball that it produced.  Sinavre looked doomed to the onlookers.  He hadn't even got in time for a counter spell as far as they could tell.  Hermione gasped.  The fireball hit Sinavre and engulfed him before it dissipated.  Much to the surprise of everyone present, Sinavre stood, un-phased, by the attack.  Snape was thrown to his feet by a wave of Sinavre's hand.  The potions professor quickly recovered however, and Sinavre was buffeted by howling winds.  The duel continued back and forth, for a few more minutes.  Harry saw a very quick shrew look pass over Snape's face, and so he knew something was coming.  As Snape raised his wand and pointed at Sinavre, Harry shifted his gaze.

            "Legilimens!" Snape roared.  Harry saw Sinavre's pupils widen to huge proportions as tendrils of crimson snaked through the mage's amber eyes.  Sinavre stood rooted to the spot.  A rustle passed over the crowd.  Ron nudged Harry, who shifted his glance to the now collapsed potions master.  Madam Hooch, who had agreed to ensure the fairness of the duel, hurried to Snape to insure that he was unharmed.  Most of the assembled crowd's attention now focused on the defeated professor.  Harry, on a hunch, turned back to Sinavre.  He witnessed as single tear fall to the ground and land with a tiny crash as it shattered into pieces.  Harry surreptitiously brushed then off the platform and into his pocket.  When he looked back up, Sinavre was gone.

            So it's a little short, but Oooh! The mystery! Review, and maybe you'll get more answers sooner!  Thank you!


	7. Breaking and Entering

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.  And yes, I really do use this blurb at the beginning of every chapter! Wow…isn't that weird?

            Kiora sat huddled in the window seat of his tower residence, tears leaking out from his eyes.  That was a dirty trick Professor Snape had pulled.  Although it made sense given his situation.  He obviously wanted to know how Kiora was able to withstand the myriad attacks Snape had unleashed.  Snape couldn't have known what memories the legilimens spell would call up, Kiora realized.  On the other hand, if even a fraction of that particular memory slipped past Kiora's shields, Snape would probably be catatonic for days.  Served him right.  Snape was wily, that was certain, but he was not an extraordinary wizard.  Kiora had merely been deflecting the power from Snape's attacks to other locations, or absorbing it when possible.  That fireball for instance, had boiled off a goodly amount of water from the lake- and it still had penetrated Kiora's shields enough to feel.  Kiora wiped a tear from beneath his eye and flicked it to the floor, where it shattered.  He hadn't felt this awful for at least a century.  He wished he could forget that awful day.

            _But would you really want to forget?_

_            Well…no.  But it is…a painful memory._

_            Worse than-_

_            Undoubtedly.  Remember, I've done that.  Sort of._

_            You should sleep you know. Class tomorrow._

_            I don't think so.  The students can have a break.  I can't teach like this._

_            Why not?_

_            Well, there's the eyes,_ Kiora pointed to the reflection of his eyes in the windowpanes, pupils still streaked with crimson tendrils, _which alone would cause the students to ask questions, and then there's the fact that anyone with even the slightest gift for empathy would know that I'm currently reliving the single worst moment of my life._

_            Point taken._  A rippling passed across Kiora's entire body, the same as the one he had experienced near the beginning of the year.

            _Then there's that.  Which I think I know what it is, and dearly hope doesn't get worse._

_            Oh my. Yes, that could be problematic._

" 'Class is cancelled today.'  That's all it says!" Hermione complained. "No explanation at all!"

"You know, most people are _happy_ when a class is cancelled." Ron commented off-handedly.  Harry nodded agreement, but said nothing.  He had the deep in thought or day dreaming look.  He was still contemplating that Sinavre had cried tears that were definitely NOT human, since water did not shatter, unless it was frozen.  The tear fragments had not yet melted, so Harry assumed that they were not ice- despite the fact that the pieces remained extremely cold.  He supposed that it could be some sort of strange curse, but that seemed unlikely.  He'd told neither Hermione nor Ron about the tear, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to.

"Perhaps Sinavre is simply very tired from the duel." Harry suggested.

"He didn't look like he was working very hard…." Ron replied.  Harry said nothing.  He knew what the legilimens spell could do to someone, and he presumed that it had brought some horrible memory to the surface of Sinavre's mind, and that that was the real reason for the cancelled class.  The topic of conversation drifted, and eventually landed on Professor Snape.

"I've heard he's still unconscious." Ron gleefully proclaimed.

"Whatever Sinavre did to him when he tried legilimens must have been frightful." Hermione mused.

"Either that or what he saw." Harry's comment stopped the conversation short.  Hermione and Ron considered this new idea.

"That would have to be…something….really awful…to do that to Snape…." Ron trailed off.  The implications of what sort of memory could be lurking inside of their newest teacher's skull was beginning to upset them.  Except for Harry, who already didn't really trust Sinavre much, if only because of his odd feelings about the man-person, since Harry wasn't so sure about Sinavre's humanity after the tear incident.  The trio returned to the Griffindor commons in silence.  Harry resolved to investigate Kiora's personal quarters.

Harry chose a day when he was free and Sinavre still had classes, in hopes of getting in and out of the teacher's quarters undetected.  He was taking the invisibility cloak with him as well on the off chance that Sinavre got back before Harry was through.  He quietly left his dorm, hoping to go without Ron following him.  Not surprisingly, Ron noticed and inquired where Harry was off to.  The answer was of course, not the truth and something harmless enough, but the invisibility cloak discreetly clutched under one of Harry's arm was very much give-away.  Ron jumped up and followed Harry, leaving his homework scattered across his bed.

"You're up to something!" Harry opened his mouth to speak, but was not given the chance. "And I'm going with you."  

"Fine." Harry responded, annoyed, and having long ago realized the futility of attempting to deny Ron's company.  As they moved into continually less familiar territory of the castle, Ron's face portrayed increasing puzzlement.  Eventually, Ron simply had to ask.

"Where, exactly, are we going Harry?"

"Sinavre's rooms."

"How do you know where they are?"

"I followed him."

"Oh…and he didn't notice-ah, the cloak, of course."  Harry nodded and continued to lead the way up a spiral staircase.  The stair soon opened out onto circular space with several doors set into the walls.  Harry walked confidently towards one, and tried to pull it open.  It was, not surprisingly, locked.

"_Alohamora._"  Harry's spell seemed to have no effect.  He was about to try again when he heard a faint click.  Harry tried the door again, and it swung open.  He peered inside cautiously, but saw no one.  He stepped in, Ron on his heels.

The room they had entered seemed to be a library of sorts.  There was a large window and windows seat occupying most of one wall, and cherry-wood bookshelves covered the rest, with the exception of the doors of course.  Several plush chairs faced a simplistic but dazzling desk, also of cherry wood.  The desk was cluttered with papers, open books and several ink wells.  Some of the bookshelves housed unusual artifacts, one of which attracted Harry's eye.  An enormous black claw lay on one of the shelves, easily a foot long, perhaps more.  He reached out to touch it, but thought better of that action as he was a few inches from it.

"Harry, come and look at this."  Ron stood by the desk, on the side where a guest would sit, staring at the text in one of the books.  Harry crossed the room.  The text in the book was hand-written, and assuredly not English.  In fact, it wasn't even the Arabic alphabet.  The character were all very different from one another, leading Harry to believe the language was like some of the eastern languages, where each symbol was a word as opposed to a part of one.  As Harry rounded the desk to get a better look at the books, he saw a creature on the chair that made him gasp in surprise.  It looked vaguely snake-ish, except that it was translucent and faintly luminous.  It stirred, apparently awakened by Harry's gasp.  What must have been an eyelid opened, and an eerie solid, glowing blue, eye stared into Harry's green for a brief second.

Then the creature shot into the air and out the door.  Harry and Ron both gaped even after it was out the door.

Kiora was walking out of his last class of the day, which he had dismissed early, when he saw a streak of blue light zooming through the hall towards him.  His eyebrows rose.  The snake-like creature twined about his neck gently and tugged at the band holding Kiora's hair back in a utilitarian tail.  He sighed, and removed the band.  The creature immediately dove into the cascade of white hair, apparently pleased.  Kiora, a little annoyed at his pets escape, headed back to his room with unusual speed.   He wanted to know how Aya had managed to get out, and why she was so agitated.

Kiora was soon mounting the long spiral steps up to his rooms.  Aya's head was near his ear, still hidden in his hair, but she could probably see out.  Kiora didn't quite understand how she managed to stay in his hair even when he was walking, but he supposed it shouldn't be difficult, since she weighed nearly nothing.  When he reached the landing at the top of the stairs, he found the door to his rooms closed, which would make it very difficult for Aya to escape.  His pet stirred, her agitation returning.  Kiora was getting vague mental images of an open door and something green and scary, but that was about it.  Aya was intelligent, but only to a degree.  She wasn't very good at understanding abstract concepts.  Perhaps somewhere on the level of a very young child.  Kiora grasped the door handle, but did not hear the click of the lock opening that should have sounded as soon as his hand touched the metal.  His eyes narrowed, and he swung the door open quickly.

Harry and Ron, huddled underneath the cloak, were just about to open the door and return downstairs, when they heard footsteps.  They had decided that the creature's departure might alert Sinavre to something amiss, and were about to leave, Harry having conducted enough snooping to be satisfied for the time being.  The backpedaled from the door as they heard the steps stop.  The door swung open and they saw Sinavre's face go from narrow eyed and suspicious to being cheerily amused.  He looked directly at them, and Harry felt surprisingly akin to when Dumbledore did that….

"Take off the cloak Harry.  It isn't doing you much good at the moment."  Professor Sinavre closed and locked the door behind him and sat in one of the four chairs facing the desk in a rough semicircle.  Ron and Harry gave each other despairing looks before shedding their last vestige of protection.  "Sit."  Sinavre waved at the plush chairs.  Sinavre smiled at the two students' looks of trepidation.  "I'm not going to bite.  Really." Harry and Ron reluctantly sat down.  "I figured I might find you here at some point Harry, after you followed me home once.  I can see through that cloak, just to make things perfectly clear.  So, why exactly, did you decide that it was necessary to explore my quarters?  You could have just asked you know."  The snake-thing poked her head through Sinavres's hair.  When it saw Harry, it darted back.  Sinavre whispered something that neither Harry nor Ron could hear, and the strange snake reappeared.

The creature slowly extended itself towards Harry, retreating rapidly all the way into Sinavre's hair if Harry made any quick movements.  It eventually made it near his face, still jerking away a little if he moved too much.  The closeness of the creature gave Harry new opportunity to see exactly what it was.  It was generally shaped like a snake, especially its head, although it had delicate spike like things growing out and back from the back of its head.  Its body was covered with hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny clear feathers, which rippled in unison to propel the creature through the air.  Its eyes seemed less threatening now then they had before, perhaps because of its shy nature.

"This is Aya, my pet.  She's a little shy.  She likes to be scratched under her jaw."  Harry reached slowly towards Aya, who drew away a little at first, before apparently deciding that Harry wasn't going to hurt her.  As he scratched, Aya's lids closed over her solid blue eyes.  When Harry stopped, Aya looked at him for a while, entreating him to keep scratching.  When he didn't, Aya returned to Sinavre, who absentmindedly scratched and petted her as he gently questioned the two boys.

He didn't get much out of them, since they couldn't have just told him that Harry had suspicions about him.  Of course, it wasn't difficult for Kiora to guess that Harry suspected him of something, whether it be being in league with Voldemort (impossible under the Covenant of Maelith'Ra) or just general not-normalness.  Kiora ended up offering to let them see him in his quarters any time, assuming of course they knocked and didn't break in if he wasn't there.  Hopefully that would prevent any future snooping, and the possible danger thereby entailed for Harry and Ron.

Wow. That was a long chapter. And fun! Please review, as it will make me happilicious!


	8. Fangs? and Fainting

I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, etc, blah blah, but I do own the original characters (now isn't that funny?)  Don't flame, because flaming is immature and will just make me think you're not worth listening to.  Do review, because it will make me happy, and hopefully will be useful in improving the story.  And yes, I really do use this blurb at the beginning of every chapter! Wow…isn't that weird?

            Harry shuddered as he walked out of Sinavre's rooms.  That…thing…Sinavre kept as a pet was just plain eerie.  And it was a snake, which was not something Harry tended to associate with happy thoughts.  Not only that, his meager excuses at why he was in Sinavre's rooms were so bad that he didn't even want to think about them.  Sinavre's eyes were kind of like Dumbledore's, they saw more than you said.  Only Sinavre's were worse, Harry still felt like he was completely transparent under that gaze.  Harry already dreaded what he thought would be the ordeal of class the next day with Sinavre suspicious of him.

            The early class-members murmured curiously to themselves as it waited for the lesson to start. The commotion was caused by the presence of Sinavre's pet, Aya.  The snake like creature's head was resting on the top Sinavre's head sleepily, and managing to look obscenely cute in the process.  Kiora could feel the weight of Aya's head, and shook his head gently.  Her ability to weigh just as much or as little as she pleased was still a mystery to him.  Kiora glanced up to survey the classroom.  Most of the students were present, and the last stragglers were coming in the door.  He stood gracefully, taking extra care not to dislodge his serpentine friend.  Once the last of the students were seated, Kiora spoke.

            "For those of you who were wondering, this," Kiora pointed to Aya, who blinked in confusion at the finger looming in her face, "is Aya, my pet.  Now that you know, discussion about her is no longer necessary." Kiora smiled gently and pointedly at the few students who were still talking.  "Today's class will not be on magecraft itself, but rather on the range of magical 'gifts' one can be fortunate to be born with.

            "The most basic of these is the ability to work with mana, this gift has no real name, since it is the most common and essential of them all. It is what allows you," Kiora's hand swept across the students, "to be wizards, or mages.  Like all gifts, it comes in varying degrees, some people are simply able to handle more mana, or some able to shape it more precisely to their will, resulting in a wide range of skill.  This range is what defines what particular branch of wizardry of magecraft someone will be best at.  For example, a wizard who is very good at using large amounts of mana at once would likely be good at large-scale magic, perhaps battle magic.  A person born with a gift for very fine manipulation of mana would be better at intricate set-spells, making enchanted maps or books for example.  As I said, there is of course, a wide range of different combinations of these two aspects of mana handling skill, focus and power.

            "There are other, less common gifts as well.  There are quite a number, so I will only list a few, there are: empaths, parseltongues, mensentires (mind-readers), healers, elemeloquis and finally, those gifted with true-sight.  Empaths feel emotions from those around them, they are usually very good with animals, as well as higly sociable.  You all know about parseltongues.  Mensentires can sometimes sense surface thoughts of people nearby, as well as the thoughts of the more intelligent animals, but are incapable of deeply probing into someone's mind without extremely complicated spells.  Healers are very good at healing magics, and elemeloquis can speak to elementals, creatures composed of basic substances like stone.  The last of the gifts, true sight, is the rarest that I have mentioned.  It is the ability of the person to see through illusions or disguises, and in extreme cases, can allow a glimpse of a physical representation of someone's soul."  

Murmurs again sprung up in the classroom at Kiora's description of True Sight; apparently he succeeded in conveying the power that such a gift carried.  The ability to glimpse someone's soul was not to be taken lightly, and could provide a wealth of information, especially to a well-trained person with True Sight.  Kiora spent the rest of the class talking to any students who wanted to know if perhaps they had a special gift.  A few did, Neville, not surprisingly, had a way with plants, another gift with no real name.  There were two empaths, and an elemeloquis as well.  The end of the class soon came, and the Kiora dismissed the students cheerily, and they began their progression out the door.  Most of them were already out the door, save Harry, Hermione and Draco, when Aya decided that she would go and explore the rest of the school.  She slithered through the air towards the door happily.

Harry was just walking under the doorframe when Sinavre's eerie pet moved lazily overhead.  Harry heard something vaguely akin to the harsh sibilants of parseltongue (the basic message of which seemed to be to return) and whirled around just in time to see Sinavre with his mouth wide open, glaring at his pet as he spoke.  Harry could feel the blood draining out of his face.  Sinavre had two very effective (though not overly large) looking fangs among his upper teeth where his canines should have been.  Harry stayed conscious just long enough to see Aya slink back to Sinavre and the professor rush towards him as he sank to the floor.  Sinavre sighed, and then hoisted Harry over his shoulder before heading for the infirmary.

"What happened to him?!"

"He passed out. Randomly, as far as I can tell." Kiora answered.  Truth be told, Kiora really had no idea why Harry passed out.  The only thing he'd done was speak to Aya.  Kiora didn't think that would terribly upset anyone.

_He's a parseltongue dear._

_Shit._

_Oh yes.  Just imagine what he must think? He knows you speak something similar to, but not, parseltongue.  And he's not a trusting one.  But then, I wouldn't be either if I'd been through what he has._

_Ha.  You never trusted anyone other than me anyhow.  So, oh wise one, what would you recommend?_

You say nothing.  And if he asks……we reconsider.  But I doubt he will.

Harry's eyes opened slowly, and blinked in confusion.  Kiora smiled, happy that he hadn't put another person into a coma.    "Well then. Now that I know you're not going to be unconscious for a week," Kiora glanced in Snape's direction, "I'll be off."  Kiora rose from the bedside stool and glided out of the room.

Harry walked back to the Gryffindor commons in a dazed state after the nurse pronounced him fit to leave, but not to attend further classes.  Sinavre had fangs! And he spoke something that was not…quite…parseltongue, but very similar.  The aura of mystery that surrounded the magecraft professor continued to grow.  The man could appear out of nowhere inside Hogwarts, which was theoretically impossible.  He had fangs.  Something Snape had seen inside of Sinavre's head had sent the potions master into a coma.  He had the most unusual creature Harry had ever seen for a pet.  He apparently cried crystal tears.  And he always wore that one piece of jewelry on his right hand, which seemed harmless enough, but given everything else Harry had learned about Sinavre, he was certain that thing had a story behind it.  Harry let himself fall into a chair by the fire.  He soon lost himself in thought, trying to join the pieces of the puzzle into a sensible whole.

"Harry?  Hellloooo? Wake up!"  Ron shook Harry lightly.  Harry blinked and tried to focus on his attacker.  He pushed his glasses back up into position.

"Oh, hi Ron.  Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

"No…." Ron replied, as if it was obvious.  "You must have slept through most of the day.  What happened by the way?"

"Sinavre."

"What about?" Hermione asked.

"Fangs."

"What?!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed in unison.

"Sinavre has fangs."  Harry's two friends looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"You sure you didn't hit your head a little hard on the way down?"  Ron asked jokingly betweens bouts of laughter.  Harry's face began to take on that particular sulking look he had become so perfect at.

"Are you trying to say," Hermione said, gasping for breath, "that one of our teachers is a vampire?"

"No," Harry said defensively, "He just has fangs.  I saw them."

"Harry," Ron said, dead serious, "Sinavre does not have fangs."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Ron.  I certainly haven't noticed any fangs, and Sinavre smiles often enough that they'd be hard to miss."

"No Snape though, you might never know!" Ron joked.  The corners of Harry's mouth began to tug upwards, but he resolutely forced his lips into neutrality.  He sighed.  His friends obviously weren't going to believe him, despite is being correct about other odd occurrences that had taken place previous years.

"If Sinavre had fangs, don't you think everyone would know Harry?" Hermione asked reassuringly, clearly concerned for Harry's sanity.  Hermione's face took on a pensive look, and all traces of mirth disappeared from her face.  "Suppose he did have fangs for a moment.  I suppose he could hide them with an illusion.  But why would you be able to see them Harry?  You know Sinavre said True Sight is extremely rare, and you're already an extraordinarily gifted wizard.  What are the chances of you having True Sight Harry?  Its much more likely that you just imagined it for some reason."  Harry sank deeper into his sulky mood.  He had seen those fangs.  He was sure of it.

Ooooh! More mysterious and you-not-knowing-ness! Haha! That's why you'll just have to review and read the next chapter when its done.  So yeah. R&R people!!


	9. Mysterious Monolith

I have decided to write a new before chapter blurb.  It is mind-boggling no? Anyhow, as before, I don't own Harry Potter obviously, but any original characters are MINE and if you steal them…I will find you.  And then things will get painful. Fortunately, I don't anticipate anyone stealing them.  So, without further ado, the next chapter.

            Harry couldn't sleep that night, and contemplated the enigma that Professor Kiora had become.  The pieces didn't seem to fit.  Something was at the back of his mind too.  The crystal tears were vaguely familiar, but he could not remember from where.  And the eyes.  Harry had forgotten the strange occurrence at the end of the duel that had left Snape in a coma.  Harry rolled over and wistfully eyed his slumbering roommates.  He really wished he could get to sleep.  He stared idly out the window at the softly falling snow.  Christmas break was drawing very near.  The back of Harry's neck tingled.

            The windowpane, and indeed the whole room, rippled, and Harry simultaneously become rather nauseous.  His roommates moaned in their sleep, some curling into fetal positions.  Something odd had definitely just happened, and Harry had the sense that it was another even that no one else would believe.  He cursed his luck.  After more angry moping, Harry eventually sank into an empty sleep.

            Students where greeted by an odd sight the next morning as the passed into the great hall for breakfast.  A monolithic object stood in the middle of the hallway.  It was easily twice the height a the tallest students, and seemingly crafted of black stone, one so dark that is seemed to absorb all light that touched it.  Dumbledore stood guard to ensure that none of the students touched it, explaining that it was not yet known what it was or where it came from.  It gave Harry the creeps, and he made sure to point this out to Hermione and Ron.

            "Well of course it does.  Its huge, it appeared overnight, and its so black it looks like a hole that goes forever."  Hermione's reply was entirely serious.

            "Don't know why Dumbledore needs to stand there.  I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to touch it.  You might fall in." Ron shivered at the end of his sentence.  Apparently Harry was not the only one getting odd vibes from the obelisk shaped abyss.

            "Hermione, do you know of anything that cries crystal tears?" Harry inquired.

            "That sounds familiar…but I can't remember at the moment.  I'll check later.  Why?"  Harry pondered whether he should reveal Sinavre's crystal tear or make up another reason.  Banking on the other major strange occurrence influencing his friends, he opted for honesty.  He leaned close so that no one would overhear his response.

            "Sinavre.  He cried one, at the very end of the duel.  I have the pieces."  Harry's two companions sat back in their chairs, faces betraying their doubt, and then realization that perhaps it was really true, as Harry was not wont to lying to his friends.

            "I'll check-"

            "It's High Dragons.  High Dragons cry crystal tears, supposedly," Ron interrupted Hermione, "Charlie told me at some point.  No ones seen High Dragons in a long time though.  But Sinavre is no dragon."

            "That's for sure." Hermione agreed.

            "But then how do you explain Sinavre?"  Harry asked incredulously.

            "Well," Hermione said slowly, clearly trying hard to recall something, "there is a legend about a society of humans that lived in harmony with the High Dragons. Perhaps that could lead us somewhere. Its worth checking at least."

            "So, Professor, do you know what this is?"  The anxious headmaster fidgeted as Kiora circled the object.

            "It seems very familiar…though I do not know why."  Kiora reached out tentatively, and ran a finger down the obelisk.  It was smooth, perhaps the smoothest surface he had ever encountered.

            "And, perhaps more importantly Kiora, is how did it get here?"

            "Ah…I think…" Kiora's eyes unfocused as his mind traveled the path that the object had, "I believe I can answer that.  The method is quite ingenious actually.  A combination of time distortion and something akin to a reverse summoning spell.  I'm surprised we didn't feel it come.  Perhaps if we had been awake.  We should not attempt to move it yet I think.  I'll put a shield on it so that it cannot be meddled with, either by students or whoever sent it."  Kiora held up his right hand, closed his eyes and bowed his head.  A blue glow, its texture similar in appearance to water, spread from Kiora's hand and began to engulf the obelisk.  Soon, the object was encased in a faintly glowing blue ellipsoid.  The glow slowly faded away, until the barrier was no longer visible, at least to the normal eye.  Kiora tapped it with his hands, and blue ripples spread along its surface.  "I need some time to think about this, Dumbledore.  There is something, an aura, about it, that is familiar."

            "That, I am quite in agreement with you about."  Dumbledore gave Kiora another one of those disconcerting looks.  But how much could he possibly know?

            _I wouldn't underestimate him dear._

_Well, he may well know more than I…_

_I hope not…why would we forget this, whatever it is?_

"Here it is: 'There is a society of High Dragons and humans that live together peacefully  (They are often referred to as the same race due to the extreme level of cooperation between them; they share the same government, laws, customs, etc) in the depths of the eastern mountains of Europe.  They are highly reclusive, and do not generally welcome outsiders.  The humans of the group are often longer lived then the average human.  Little else is known about them, save that they were involved in the Shadow War and are said to practice….unorthodox….methods of magic.'  That's all."  Hermione looked a little disappointed as she relayed her find to Harry and Ron.

"Well…it almost fits.  The weird magic, old age, general oddness…" Ron trailed off.

"Except for that one slightly important detail of a crystal tear." Harry pointed out sardonically.

"There is that." Ron conceded.

"Are the High Dragons shape shifters?" Hermione asked.

"Nope.  Or at least, not as far as Charlie knows, and I daresay he knows dragons better than anyone else I've met."  Ron's reply was quick and confident.

"Well then, this information does us little good.  Does this society even have a name?" Harry inquired, exasperated.

"Um…no.  At least, not here."

"Alright then, what about the Shadow War Hermione?  Do we know anything else about it?"  Hermione paused before answering.

"Not…really.  It could be the same thing as that other record I found that mentioned the shadows…but that doesn't tell us much."

"Well," Harry spoke to the air, "it would seem that we have gotten basically nowhere.  We now know where Sinavre _might_ be from.  We still have no idea what he is!"

"Not a dragon?" Ron offered meekly.  Harry just glared, and then sighed.

"I suppose we'll just keep looking.  Perhaps we can find out more about this Shadow War."

And now- a chapter break.   Next one coming soon, because I feel inspired….or at least, I hope its coming soon.  Please R&R, I want to know what you think!


	10. Finals induced nightmares?

Jumping right on in….

            A lone figure, clothed in searing black, stood on a snow-covered plain.  Scintillating golden runes adorned the otherwise black robes of the figure, and in its hands was clasped an elegant staff of white gold, crowned with an obsidian of startling beauty.  The stone was diamond shaped, taller than it was wide.  Arrayed opposite the figure was an army of terrifying size, composed of equally hideous and vile creatures.  They shuffled about, unsure of what to make of the lone obstacle in their way.  It was only one in number, and yet it stood so confident, as though it were legion.  Something was pushing through the legions, another robed and hooded figure, this one dressed purely in crimson.  Once it reached the fore of what was presumably its army, a haughty feminine voice flouted across the space between the two robed ones.

            "Stand aside!  What purpose can you possibly serve here?  You are one against the greatest army this world has ever seen!"  The figure in the black robes responded in a language so beautiful, so lyrical and soft, that it was difficult to believe that the figure was speaking dire words of warning, that somehow, the other figure still managed to here.

            "You stand on the threshold of my people's land.  The threshold of a light you cannot bear.  It is a line you will not cross."  The woman in crimson robes laughed, clearly amused.

            "You think to deter me with mere words?  You haven't the power to stop me, nor the guts to use it if you did."

            "The people have spoken."  A golden line sprang into being midway between the two figures.  Her eyes narrowed.

            "Enough talk!  Attack!"  The horde surged forwards on her command, quickly closing in on the line in the snow.  The scales on the back of the hands gripping the staff tightened as the black robed figure knelt.  The line in the snow grew brighter, as did the obsidian mounted at the top of the staff.  It looked as though light was pouring forth from a fissure in the snow where the line was drawn, and indeed the snow had melted from beneath it.  It continued to increase, becoming almost impossible bright.  The first line of beasts reached it, passed over it, and emerged as nothing but clouds of dust.  Several more ranks were pushed through the incendiary barrier of light before the momentum of the army was brought to a halt.  The black robed figure stood, and the army looked in awe past the line.  The figure's staff burned as the though the sun itself had descended and rested atop it, as did the figures eyes.  It was too bright for the army to look upon the creature, though many tried.  The crimson clad woman waited expectantly for a challenge, but none came.  "Will you do nothing?  You possess such power, and do nothing with it! You are a fool!"  The woman produced a wand from her cloak, and screamed terrible curses upon the figure, who merely stood serenely.  It seemed almost as though the curses were visible as little blood red darts of hatred, but the awesome light burned them away before they ever reached their mark.  "I. WILL. PASS!" the woman roared with rage, and began to step over the line.  Her face became a rictus of pain and concentration as first her toes, and then slowly, agonizingly slowly, the rest of her foot made contact with the ground on the other side of the line.  It was as though she pushed through some thick liquid, moving only with great effort.

            Eventually, the crimson clad woman collapsed onto her knees, on the other side of the line.  Heartened and encouraged by her success, her army tried to follow.  Some were able to try and push through, but most were turned to dust.  Soon, the line was covered across the entire width of the valley by creatures struggling to break through it.  The black clad figure surveyed the spectacle and sighed.

            "So be it.  There is no other way."  With that, the sun like staff was inverted, and the black clad figure plunged the sun into the ground.  A blinding ring of light and steam spread about his feet, moving faster than one could see, disintegrating all it touched.  In mere seconds, the army was gone, the valley floor exposed, not a spot of snow remained.  All that remained was dust, and one crimson clad woman, attempting to get to her feet.  The black clad figure walked to her and knelt, lifting her chin with a partially scaled, clawed hand.  "Go.  Do not return."

            "But…how…you serve the Shadow, not the light."

            "You have misunderstood.  You serve darkness. I do serve the shadows- but to have shadows, one must also have light. And so I serve both.

            "I will…never…give up.  I will return, and triumph."

            "I am sorry for you then, for your existence will surely be tortured."  The crimson clad woman drew herself up, and pointed her wand at the black clad figure's heart.  Before she could utter a word, the sun-tipped staff touched her forehead.  A look of utter terror came onto her face, and her body burned away in a brilliant flash of light.

Harry woke, drenched in sweat, from his strange dream- or was it nightmare- sunlight shining into his eyes.  He blinked several times.  That had been a startlingly real dream.  Almost as though he had been floating above the entire thing.  And all the senses were there too.  He immediately wondered if perhaps this was another false dream forced into his mind by Voldemort's magic.  Harry ground his teeth.  He couldn't tell anyone, at least not yet.  Harry quietly got out of bed and crept down the stairs to sit in front of the fire in the Griffindor commons.  After more rumination on the dream, his thoughts drifted back to his academic pursuits.  Finals were fast approaching, with only two weeks before the fateful tests, followed by the much-awaited Christmas break.  Perhaps Harry would be able to find some answers to his troubles then.  In the meantime, he resolved to allow Hermione to pester him about studying, and that perhaps he even would engage in some preparation.

            "Fortunately for me, though perhaps less fortunate for you, there is very little I can do to help you review as a class.  Taking into consideration this fact and the fact that it is also the last week before finals, there will be no required class.  I will be here when the class would normally be, should you have any questions, I will try to help you as best I can.  And before some smart ass decides to ask, there will be no wands allowed on the final- however, you must bring them with you.  It is all applied, you needn't bring a quill.  Just yourself.  And hopefully your brains.  Class dismissed- oh!  Make sure to check the list posted outside to find out when your final is, they are individual."  Kiora leaned back in his chair, watching the happy students rush for the door.  Only a very few stayed behind to ask questions.  After those few were also gone, Kiora couldn't help but smirk.  The kind of questions they asked weren't going to help them on the final one bit….in fact…studying history really wouldn't at all.   Kiora was very much looking forward to administering the test to a few choice students.

            Harry trudged towards the magecraft room, dreading the test and annoyed that it was so early in the morning.  He passed another student on the way out, who was clutching something in her hands as though it was gold.  Harry eyed her curiously, but apparently she missed his glance, since she passed him without saying a word.  Perhaps she'd merely been holding a superb grade report.  Harry walked into Sinavre's classroom.  A metal box of some sort sat on the only remaining table.  Sinavre stood behind it.

            "Your wand please Harry."  Harry handed over his wand dutifully.  Sinavre deposited it in the box, and closed the lid.  It seemed to Harry as though the seems of the box disappeared and it looked like a solid cube of metal.  Harry gaped, caught completely off guard.

            "Umm…"

            "Your task, Harry, is to get your wand out of the box.  You have an hour."  Sinavre then retreated to his desk and sat down to pore over some book or other.  Harry stared at the box, and felt around the edges with his hands.  There wasn't any indication that this was actually a hollow object as opposed to a solid chunk of metal.  Harry then concentrated as hard as he could on mana sight and found that there appeared to be some kind of depression in the top of the box.  He tried touching the spot with his finger, but nothing happened.  He tried 'pouring' some mana into it, which was rather hard, since it was difficult for him to control such a small amount, and the depression turned slightly green, and seemed to expand.  Harry channeled more mana into the depression, until it was completely full.  Then it seemed to evaporate in a green haze.  Just as he was about to reach for the box again, angry flames leapt up from the box.  He shot a quick glance at Sinavre, who did not seem at all concerned…

            Which would have to mean it was controlled or…an illusion.  Harry inched his hand towards the flames, and felt no heat.  With a certain sense of satisfaction, he bent his will towards dissolving the illusion, and it slowly faded away.  The next thing he saw was a complicated mechanical mechanism.  He gazed at the mess of gears and springs, thoroughly stumped.  After perhaps a quarter hours careful examination of the device, Harry was fairly certain that he had found the spring-loaded gear that ought to make the thing go.  But he couldn't reach it to wind it up.    He tapped his foot as he contemplated the problem.  It wasn't long before Harry realized that it was after all, a magic exam, and they had learned how to lift things magically…so winding a gear oughtn't to be too hard.

            With some difficulty Harry managed to wind the gear and release it.  The clockwork whirred away, and another layer of the box's puzzling innards were exposed.  It looked like a black cube.  He touched it, and his finger went through, but he could feel nothing.  Hastily, he withdrew the hand, expecting to be short a digit.  His hand was fine.  He also could not see within the space, with mana sight or normal eyes.  What sort of puzzle was this?  Something he could not feel or see.  Darkness?  Which would take..light? to dissipate?  Harry formed a light on one of his fingertips, after only a few minutes of failed attempts, and passed it through the patch of dark.  It rippled, and fell away, revealing his wand, a pure black ring, and a silvery bell.  

            "Impressive.  Forty-two minutes and thirteen seconds.  An excellent time."  Harry jumped at Sinavre's soft voice.

            "What are these?" Harry held up the other contents of the box besides his wand.

            "Gifts. For you."

            "Are they…special in any way?"

            "The ring will bring you light when you need it most…and you will have to find for yourself what purpose the bell may serve."

            "Its an awfully dark ring…seems a little odd that it makes light."

            "You can find light in the most unlikely of places Harry."  Sinavre smiled an enigmatic smile, and congratulated Harry on his excellent performance before dismissing him.

            Weeee! Writing roll…during/near finals…how odd. Anyhow, R&R please!  I like hearing what you have to say.


	11. Golden Visions

            Harry contemplated the black ring that sat in the palm of his hand.  As he contemplated whether he trusted Sinavre to enough to attempt wearing the ring, he realized that he had again noticed fangs among Sinavre's teeth.  The fact that he hadn't been bothered by it until now upset him.  He inspected the ring as closely as he could, checking for every curse he could think of.  Harry found nothing, only that the ring pulsed with an inner light in mana sight.  He rubbed it absently with his finger. Surprisingly, the ring was comfortably warm.  Upon reaching his dorm, he set the two artifacts aside and concentrated on studying for his Potions test, which was he was very much afraid of.  He would ask Ron and Hermione to have a look at the ring and bell when they finished their finals today.  Come to think of it, Hermione should have already finished her final with Sinavre, assuming it was alphabetical.

            As it turned out, Harry forgot entirely about asking his friends about his gifts from Sinavre for the entire weak of finals.  As the majority of the school rushed to pack their things and depart, our merry trio was holding conference in the midst of the whirlwind.  Harry set the ring upon the table.

            "Did Sinavre give either of you something at the end of the test?"  Hermione shuffled about in her bag and produced a brass bookmark of exquisite crafting, while Ron set an unusually large and detailed King chess piece on the board, one that was extremely lifelike in color and carving.  "I'll take that as a yes.  What do they do?"

            "It plays chess!" Ron exclaimed eagerly, "Its really good.  If I tell it to play hard, I can't always beat it."

            "This thing," Hermione waved at the bookmark, "keeps my place in books.  Except it doesn't have to stay in the book.  And so far it seems to know my place in every book I've used it in.  Quite handy. Here, watch."  Hermione pulled a book she was reading out of her bag, placed it next to the bookmark, and touched the top of the bookmark, where a rune was inscribed.  The pages of the book flew open, turning rapidly until it stopped.  The bookmark still sat on the table.  "Apparently putting it in the book records the place."  Hermione seemed quite thrilled with her recent acquisition.

            "He gave me this."  Harry only showed the ring, which he had not yet put on, as it would seem he had been a minority to get two things.  And Sinavre not knowing what the bell did seemed odd.  His friend stared at the black ring with curiosity.

            "What's it do?"  They asked in unison.

            "Apparently it's a light of some sort.  I haven't put it on, because I'm not sure I trust it."  Hermione squinted at the ring following the end of Harry's sentence.

            "No curses or anything I can see."

            "Ditto." Ron added.

            "You know Harry, sooner or later, you're going to have to trust someone."  Hermione sounded rather grave.  Harry sighed, and resignedly slipped the ring over his right ring finger.  He thought he saw a fire light in it's depths, but that seemed impossible.  The ring wasn't at all translucent.

            "It's not doing anything." Ron observed.

            "Sinavre said…. It 'will bring you light when you need it most.' So maybe it only works when I its dark."

            "Dumbledore!" Snape raged as he stormed into the headmaster's office. "Dumbledore! You must be aware that Sinavre is NOT what he appears!"

            "Yes, Severus, I know enough."  The headmaster's response was calm, and he didn't even look up from the letter he was writing.

            "No, I don't think you do.  He's….he's…cheated death, somehow, and it involved the blood of another creature."  The headmaster looked up, and pinned Snape under his gaze.

            "Really…and you know this….why?"

            "The legilimens I tried to use during the duel.  I saw…flashes of a memory.  And it was a feeling of dying, and then drinking blood.  And it was a sentient's blood.  That was clear. Somehow."

            "Well, despite your possible inside knowledge, I don't think we have any reason to distrust Professor Sinavre.  He has been very gracious and helpful.  Nor has he shown any signs of trickery.  Besides, I think if he wanted to accomplish anything, he would have already done so.  We've already seen that one of our best wizards is no match for him."  Dumbledore twinkled at Snape, who glowered back.  "And I also have the suspicion that he is not using all of his power.  We are lucky he is not set against us."

            "Can you be sure?"  Snape asked, a little calmer, but still quite anxious.

            "No, but can I be sure of anyone with absolute certainty? Can you be completely sure of me?  Or can I be sure of you, for that matter?  I think it best we not allow your insights into Sinavre's character to influence our judgment to greatly.  As such, I implore you to keep the information to yourself."   The potions teacher gave the headmaster a look of uncertainty, then quietly retreated out of the office.

            Kiora stared at the monolith, still puzzled, even after days of observing it.  He didn't want to touch it unless he had to, and he was nearing the limit of what he could learn by visual observation.  Spells were useless, since the thing just seemed to absorb magical energy.  Kiora sighed and passed his hand through the shield he had put on the thing, feeling along the smooth surface for something, anything, at this point.  Doubtless the few students who where staying at the school over the winter break found his single-mindedness about the monolith amusing and scary.  Kiora had been studying it for, literally, three days in a row, with no food or sleep and no breaks.  Or at least, the students didn't think their magery professor had had food, but then, they supposed that he could have magicked it to himself when they weren't looking.   Kiora's fingertips brushed across a slight indent.  He paused, and moved his hand backwards, and then down a little. At this point, he was standing, with his hand at face level.  It seemed that there was a large depression that was…hand shaped.  Or at least so it seemed, tracing the outline.  Curious, Kiora placed his right hand in the depression.  It fit perfectly almost- and with the contact Kiora was assaulted by a tumult of memories, returning and flashing by.

            "I wish Sinavre would figure out what that thing is and get rid of it.  It's kind of creepy.  So black."  Ron was watching Sinavre's tactile examination of the object.  Harry and Hermione both looked over at the monolith as well, their wary glances echoing Ron's sentiment.   The professor's fingers wandered across the surfaces, and the he pressed his whole hand to the object and left it there.  Harry saw something flicker around Sinavre.  He squinted, and then rubbed his eyes, but when he reopened them the flickering continued.  Harry felt something change, not a physical change, but rather as if some barrier in his mind had dissolved.  Floating serenely behind Sinavre, and seemingly attached to his back, floated faintly luminescent wings of golden gossamer.  Harry was awestruck by the beauty of them, and for the moment, was not at all concerned with exactly what or how he was seeing. No one else gave any indication of knowing they were there.  Ron and Hermione soon become concerned at Harry's obvious entrancement, following his glance towards Sinavre and seeing nothing.  This only made the look of rapture on Harry's face more confounding to them.  To Harry, the wings were blown gently by a breeze that may or may not have existed.

            Just as abruptly as they appeared, when Sinavre slowly drew his hand away from the stone, the wings disappeared.  But Harry thought he could still see eddies of golden dust in Sinavre's wake as the mage retreated down the hall.

            I like it when I get inspired!!  Please review, because it causes happiness.  Unless I really miss my mark, the next chapter should me really soon.  So much is floating around in my head that needs to get on paper!!


	12. The Monolith

Kiora reeled as he stumbled through the doorway to his room and closed it firmly behind him.  He slid down it, unable to make it to a chair.  How had he forgotten so much?  How had they both forgotten so much?  And foremost, who?  Who would have been able to find the monolith and move it here?

            _I'm really hoping you have some ideas about, since I'm out._

_            Afraid not Ki.  Seeing as I chose to forget also._

_            I've been hiding…from myself.  I'm not even sure if I'm the same person with the addition of those memories.  And such power……_

_            That wasn't just ours.  The People gave us all they had.  We were their only chance._

_            How will I get the thing?  I can't let anyone see!_

            "Harry?  Hullo?"  Ron was passing his hand in front of his friend's eyes.

            "Did you…see something?"  Hermione pressed, concerned.  Harry blinked, and turned to his friends.  There were no other students in the hall, they had all left in the quarter hour or so that Harry had lingered on the memory of those wings.  Harry contemplated whether he should tell them of his vision, but decided that that experience would be his and his alone.

            "Err..no."  Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, and then accusingly at Harry.

            "Oh come on! You must have been looking at something!"  Ron burst out.  Harry said nothing, returning to the consumption of his breakfast rolls.  His friends gave him dirty looks and gave up.

            The happy little trio whiled away the rest of the day doing basically whatever pleased them.  Ron played chess, Hermione buried herself in the library, still looking for more clues as to Professor Sinavre's identity (or species) and Harry polished his broom, played chess with Ron and read fiction novels.  Every so often a smile would creep across Harry's face as he envisioned the gossamer wings again.  It seemed that the image in his mind retained a constantly startling clarity.

            When Harry saw Sinavre at dinner that day, the golden dust was still present, and seemed to thinly coat the teacher's skin, or at least parts of it. Harry wondered if he would have been able to see any detail if he was closer but didn't try.  Harry was of course, curious as to by what faculty he could sense the dust, light, whatever it was.  It only seemed to appear on Sinavre, which confirmed to Harry his own suspicions that the professor was decidedly different, i.e. most likely not human.  On the other hand, he found it difficult to believe that something so beautiful as those wings could possibly be evil.

            When he returned to the Gryffindor, Harry settled next to the fire for a little reading before he took himself to bed.  Harry had made considerable headway into his book when he felt a magical "ripple" of considerable size.  He barely even thought as he got up to have a look; his curiosity was so strong it was automatic at this point.  His feet brought him ever closer to the great hall, and the ripples became more structured, smaller, until they disappeared.

            As he rounded the final corner, he saw a cascade of brilliantly white hair that could only have been Sinavre's.  That was no surprise though.  Harry craned his neck to the side to try and see more, and recoiled in shock.  A hand did indeed rest upon the monolith, but it was not what Harry would have expected.  It was mostly human, except that it was graced with half inch claws and golden scales on the back of the hand and fingers.  Harry looked more carefully, and realized that they were more like plates than scales.  They didn't quite overlap, and were larger than Harry would imagine scales on a person.  He also noticed part of a tail protruding from beneath Sinavre's cloak.  Apparently the mage was either unaware of Harry or ignoring him, and Harry was not about to leave.

            Sinavre began to speak softly in whatever language he used with his pet, something like parseltongue, but softer and more refined…more….civilized.  Soothing, actually, when spoken in that tone.  Harry nearly lost himself in the musical cadence of the language, and then noticed that parts of the monolith had started to glow.  The looked like characters of some sort.  The intensity of the light they were emitting grew to an unbearably bright white.  He shielded his eyes.  When he looked again, the monolith was gone…or mostly gone.  The base seemed to remain, and simplistically beautiful staff was upright in the space that had probably been inside the hollow stone.  It seemed to pulsate with light, also white, but Harry saw the faintest hint of smoldering red crawling across the surface of the staff.  It was disconcertingly familiar.

            Harry watched Sinavre grasp the staff in his left hand, and freeze.  The professors now pointed ears twitched, moving slightly, as though searching for a sound.  Harry held his breath, fearing that it would betray his presence if he did not.  It was then that the all too familiar chuckle emerged from the shadows.  Now Harry too, was frozen, but from fear.  Muscles rippled beneath Sinavre's now-scaled skin, as though he wished to move but could not.  The voice laughed.  Harry saw that the crawling redness now covered Sinavre in a thin layer.  A figure walked from the shadows, and roughly spun Sinavre around to face it.  Harry could see past the figure's shoulder, barely, to Sinavre's face.  They locked eyes for a brief moment, and Harry was quite sure that Sinavre knew he was there.  Fortunately, the other was still unaware of the third party.

            "What's this, the mighty Kio'Ra caught off guard?"  The figure taunted.  A gloved hand caressed Sinavre's face, and Harry could see the disgust, and fury in his teacher's eyes.  "You will make an excellent tool."  It seemed to Harry as if Sinavre's eyes burned brighter still, as though they were emitting light, instead of just reflecting what little there was.  On of the mage's fingers twitched, then curled, slowly.  Harry watched as the rest of the fingers on the right hand followed suit, one at a time.  The figure turned around, back to Sinavre and glared in Harry's general direction.  Crimson eyes stabbed through the darkness, searching for him.  Harry willed himself to action and ducked behind a pillar.

            He waited tensely, but nothing happened.  Harry peeked back out, and found that the Dark Lord's attention was now directed at all the walls near him, but he was still back to Sinavre.  The professor raised his arm, very slowly, and with great effort, muscles trembling with strain, until his right hand faced Voldemort's back, palm open.  The metal of the hand-piece glinted.  Space rippled in an abrupt circular pattern emanating outwards from Sinavre's hand, and the Dark Lord was sent sprawling.  Sinavre brought his right hand to the staff, the stone on it and his circlet now glowing fiercely white, the staff responding with angry red.  Sinavre stepped forwards, very slowly.

            "STOP!"  The command rang forth from the Dark Lord, now standing and facing Sinavre.  Kiora's face became more determined as he stepped forwards again.  "I command you to stop!"  Sinavre still continued slowly forwards.  "By the geas that I have bound you to, STOP."  Sinavre's foot touched the ground, and he did not lift it again, but instead he spoke, but not in English.  The professor spoke again in whatever language it was he used with his pet, and by some means, Harry understood it perfectly, perhaps because of the presence of Voldemort.

            "_Forged in my blood,"_ Sinavre stepped forwards, and the Dark Lord shouted again for him to stop, "_Shaped by my will,"_ the room began to shake a little, and Harry though he saw a vortex of light forming about Sinavre, though it was faint. _"Imbued with my essence,"_ the room was now shaking a considerable amount, and the vortex of white light was easily visible, even to Voldemort, who now wore a look of surprise, and maybe, fright.  _"I cannot be bound,"_ Sinavre's voice grew stronger, and the white light was burning away the sullen red.  The vortex of light was now hard to look at.  _"By a part of myself."_  The stopped shaking, the red glow was gone, and Sinavre now strode purposefully and easily towards the Dark Lord, the trio of stones he glowing brightly.  It was the only time Harry had seen Voldemort, completely, and utterly afraid.  His plan, whatever it was, must have just been completely crushed.

            The Dark Lord held his wand at the ready, and began throwing cursed the likes of which Harry hadn't known existed at Sinavre, who spoke calm counters to every one.  The professor brought the staff down with a thundering boom, sending Voldemort's wand skittering away.  Sinavre grasped the Dark Lord's throat with his right hand, being none too gentle.  Beads of blood sprang up where the tips of Sinavre's talons pressed into flesh.  The wizard muttered something and Sinavre dropped him and sprang back, as though burned.  Sinavre hissed.  It sounded to Harry not unlike the basilisk, only a lot smaller.  Voldemort made a dash for his wand.  Sinavre arrived within striking distance just as the Dark Lord knelt to retrieve his wand, and the huge blow of Sinavre's staff was delivered to his midriff and sent him flying through a window.  Sinavre leaned over the sill, and cursed.  The professor turned back to the room, and closed his eyes.  The remains of the monolith burned in white pyre of raw magical power that left Harry awe-struck.  With a flick of Sinavre's wrist the window reassembled itself.  The professor then, in an action Harry had been long expecting, turned his piercing gaze on Harry.

And that concludes this nifty chapter!


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